Kelly Clarkson Calls for a Moment of Change

Country music award winner Kelly Clarkson is hosting tonight’s Billboard Music Awards. As the broadcast began, she was given the responsibility to address Friday’s devastating school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas; a high school in her home state.

Too many of our entertaining awards shows are starting off with these moments lately. These moments when we have to stop, bow our heads, and mourn lost innocent lives. Moments when everybody in the audience stands silently out of respect for the victims and the unforeseen tragedy that struck.

Not tonight.

Like most of us, Clarkson is sick of this news. She is tired of hearing another child was taken too young and another parent has to grieve the most traumatic loss imaginable. She is also tired of being asked to take a moment to silently honor those who fell to random and senseless acts of violence…because, quite frankly, silence isn’t doing a thing to save our kids.

On Friday, May 18, ten more people lost their lives in a school shooting; eight students and two teachers. This comes four weeks after these students participated in a walkout to show their support for the action the Parkland, Florida students have taken since the February 14 Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting that claimed seventeen lives.

One of those Stoneman Douglas lives was one of my brother’s best friends.

With that being said, I stand with you, Kelly. Silence isn’t working. Silence is killing. Take a moment to take action and make a change. Nobody should live in fear of walking outside of his/her home and going into a public place. No parent should worry that each morning he/she drops a child off at school could be the last one they spend together.